Carrying case with inserted nameplate

ABSTRACT

A double-walled thermoplastic article includes a double-walled body having inner and outer walls and an insert having visible portions and recessed runner sections. The body includes an insert portion in which its inner and outer walls are contiguous. The insert is attached to the body insert portion such that the visible portions of the insert are exposed and the runner sections are embedded within the insert portion. The article can be produced by a double-walled blow molding process.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to blow-molded articles, and relatesmore specifically to blow-molded articles of double-walled construction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Blow molding is a well-known fabrication method for thermoplasticcomponents. The process generally involves the molding of a hollow tube,or "parison," of molten thermoplastic, that is lowered from anoverhanging extrusion head to a position between halves of areciprocating mold. As the mold halves close, air or some other gas isinjected into the parison; the increase in air pressure within theparison caused by such injection forces its walls into the contours ofthe cavities of the mold halves and thus forms the parison into adesired molded shape. The resulting component has molded walls thatsurround a hollow chamber. Blow molding has proven to be particularlypopular for the production of large parts that would require undulylarge molding injection molding machines.

One type of blow molding that has been used successfully for largecomponents that require structural rigidity is the so-called"double-walled" blow molding process. In this process, mold halves aremost often designed as distinct core and cavity halves (rather than astwo cavities, as would be the case for blow-molded bottles or othercontainers). The core portion of the core mold half extends within thecavity as the mold halves close. In addition, the mold halves fordouble-walled components are configured so that the molded componentshave "full-perimeter flash"; i.e., after molding the component hasexcess material, or "flash", around the perimeter defined by matingsurfaces of the mold halves. This contrasts with single-walledcomponents, in which the parison is inflated entirely within closed moldcavities, and the molded component has flash only on its top and bottomportions. Blow-molded components have distinct inner and outer wallsthat surround a hollow space, with the inner wall having been formed bythe core and the outer wall having been formed by the cavity, with theinner and outer walls being separated by the weld line remaining afterthe flash is removed. In a typical double-walled component the inner andouter walls are positioned proximate to one another and can have"pinched-off" areas, in which the inner and outer walls are contiguous.

One distinct advantage provided by double-walled blow-molded componentsis the capability for adjacent regions of the inner and outer walls todiffer significantly in their localized contour. For example, a regionof the outer wall may have a relatively flat profile, while the adjacentregion of the inner wall can contain numerous projections, recesses, andthe like, with the profile of either localized region failing to impactsignificantly the appearance or structural integrity of the other. Suchdifferences in localized inner and outer wall contour are less likely tobe successfully achieved in injection-molded components because theinclusion of substantial detail in the inner wall can have a deleteriouseffect on the dimensional stability, appearance, and even strength ofthe outer wall. Another performance advantage conveyed by double-walledcomponents stems from the formation of the hollow chamber within theinner and outer walls, as it can provide an air cushion that protectsitems contacting the inner wall.

For these reasons, double-walled components have proven to beparticularly popular for protective containers and carrying cases.Detailed contour that mates with, matches, supports, or capturesportions of an item to be carried within the carrying case can beincluded in the inner wall of the double-walled component even as theouter wall has a generally flat, appearance-sensitive surface. Further,the air cushion between the inner and outer walls helps to protect theitem. Thus, the container has the detail and structure necessary tosupport, transport and protect the item and also provides the desiredaesthetic appeal, and does so without the manufacturer having to producetwo separate inner wall and outer wall parts.

One problem confronting manufacturers of double-walled containers is theattachment of a manufacturer's label to the container. Typically, apaper or plastic label is adhesively bonded or otherwise attached to theouter surface of the one side of the container. However, these labelscan easily peel off or tear, either of which can adversely impact theappearance of the container. The lack of durability of these labels isparticularly problematic for carrying cases for power tools and thelike, which are typically subjected to significant abuse duringconventional use. Another alternative is to mold the manufacturer's logodirectly into the case, but this limits the manufacturer to using a logowhich is the same color as the case itself.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a double-walled container with a durable identifying label.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method forproducing a double-walled container having a durable identifying label.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a moldsuitable for producing a double-walled container with a durableidentifying label.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objectives are satisfied by the present invention, whichincludes a thermoplastic article having a molded-in insert suitable foruse as an identifying label. The thermoplastic article comprises adouble-walled body formed of a thermoplastic material and having outerand inner walls and a molded-in insert. The body includes an insertportion in which the inner and outer walls are at least partiallycontiguous. The insert, which is preferably thermoplastic, has outersurfaces defining one or more visible portions of the insert. The insertalso includes runner sections connecting the visible portions which arerecessed from the insert outer surface. The insert is attached to thebody insert portion such that the insert outer surface is exposed (andthus visible) and the runner sections are embedded in the body insertportion. The resulting article has a durable visible insert that canwithstand abuse similar to that withstood by the article itself.Preferably, the article includes ribs protruding outwardly from the bodyinner wall, which can assist the insert portion and insert in remaininggenerally flat.

Such an article can be formed by a method which includes as a first stepproviding a mold comprising a pair of mating mold halves. A first of themold halves includes a cavity portion having a first insert section, anda second of the mold halves includes a core portion having a secondinsert section. Next, an insert such as that described above ispositioned within the insert section of the cavity portion of the firstmold half so that the insert outer surface contacts the insert sectionand so that the runner sections of the insert are spaced away from theinsert section. A molten thermoplastic parison is then lowered betweenthe mold halves, and the mold halves are closed to capture a portion ofthe parison therebetween so that the core portion of the second moldhalf extends within the cavity portion of the first mold half. Theparison is inflated to force the parison to contact the core and cavityportions of the mold halves such that an insert portion is formed in thearticle which includes the insert and in which the inner and outer wallsof the article are at least partially contiguous. As described above,the insert is positioned within the insert portion such that the insertvisible portions are exposed in the outer wall and the runner sectionsare embedded within the article insert portion. Preferably, the methodfurther comprises venting air from the cavity portion at positionsadjacent the visible portions of the insert, as doing so can improvematerial flow over the runner sections of the insert.

A mold that can be employed to form an article of the present inventioncomprises a pair of mating mold halves, a first of which includes acavity portion having a first insert section, and a second of whichincludes a core portion having a second insert section. The mold furthercomprises insert-positioning means, such as alignment pins, forpositioning the insert in a predetermined position and orientationrelative to the cavity portion. The mold halves should be configured sothat, when the mold halves are in a closed position in which the coresection extends within the cavity section, the first insert section ofthe cavity portion and the second insert section of the core portion arepositioned in noncontacting adjacent relationship such that an insertportion is formed in the article in which the inner and outer walls ofthe article are at least partially contiguous. Also, the cavity and coreportions are configured and positioned in adjacent, noncontactingrelationship so as to form, respectfully, distinct outer and inner wallsof the article. Preferably, the insert-positioning means comprises aplurality of alignment pins attached to the first mold half insertsection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrying case of the present inventionhaving a molded-in nameplate.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along lines 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing the inner wallof the carrying case cover.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of the insert portion of the cover ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partial section view taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partial section view taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5A is a partial section view of the insert portion of the cover ofFIG. 3 showing visible portions and runner sections of a nameplateinsert.

FIG. 6 is a partial section view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a double sectioned perspective view of the insert portion ofthe cover of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of an insert plate used within acavity mold half to form the cover of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the insert plate of FIG. 8 illustratinghow a nameplate insert is supported and captured thereby.

FIG. 10 is a view of the mold insert plate of FIG. 9 with the nameinsert indicated in phantom line.

FIG. 11 is a side view of reciprocating mold halves used to form thecarrying case illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the mold halves, of FIG. 11 having athermoplastic parison lowered therebetween.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the mold halves of FIG. 11 in a closedposition.

FIG. 14 is a view of the mold halves of FIG. 11 in an open position,wherein the part has been ejected therefrom.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a carryingcase of the present invention having a molded in nameplate.

FIG. 16 is a view of the carrying case of FIG. 15 taken along lines15--15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter. Thisinvention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thoroughand complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to thoseskilled in the art.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a carrying case, designated broadly at 20,comprises a container member 22 and a cover 24 that includes a nameplateinsert 50. The container 22 and the cover 24 are double-walledblow-molded components. As used herein, a "double-walled" component isone which has been produced by blow molding and in which substantialportions of one wall of the component are adjacent but spaced away fromsubstantial portions of an opposed wall. Preferably, the mold used toproduce the component has distinct core and cavity halves and isconfigured to produce a component having the aforementionedfull-perimeter flash.

The container 22 and cover 24 are pivotally interconnected at theirlower facing edges by a hinge (not shown) that enables the container 22and cover 24 to pivot relative to one another between closed and openpositions. The configuration of the hinge is not critical; an exemplaryhinge suitable for interconnecting double-walled blow-molded componentsis illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,456 to Newby, the disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. The illustratedcarrying case 20 thus has a container cavity 25 (FIG. 2) that isconfigured to contain, transport, and protect a power tool, such as apower drill, but those skilled in this art will appreciate that acarrying case of the present invention can take a variety ofconfigurations and protect any number of items, such as electronic,computer, video, or camera equipment, sales samples, and the like.

The cover 24 is formed of a thermoplastic material, preferablypolyethylene, suitable for blow-molding. Other suitable materialsinclude propylene, polystyrene, ABS, and copolymers thereof. It ispreferred that the container 22 also be formed of a thermoplasticmaterial and have a double-walled construction, although those skilledin this art will recognize that other materials and structures are alsosuitable for use in the container 22.

Inasmuch as the cover 24 is of a double-walled construction, it includesa preferably textured outer wall 30 (seen in FIG. 1) and an inner wall28 (seen in FIG. 2). In the illustrated embodiment, the inner and outerwalls 28, 30 have a nominal thickness of between about 0.060 and 0.090inches, although the skilled artisan will recognize that some variationin wall thickness typically occurs in blow-molded parts. The skilledartisan will further recognize that other nominal thicknesses may alsobe suitable for use with this invention, particularly if the cover 24 isformed of a different thermoplastic material.

As is conventional for components of double-walled construction, overmuch of the expanse of the cover 24 the inner wall 28 and outer wall 30are adjacent to but spaced from one another. However, at an insertportion 32 (FIGS. 2 and 3), the inner wall 28 and outer wall 30 are atleast partially contiguous. Because the insert portion 32 is formed ofportions of both the inner and outer walls 28, 30, it has a thicknesssubstantially greater than that of either wall 28, 30 alone. Preferably,the thickness is between about 0.200 and 0.300 inches.

On its inner surface 33, the insert portion 32 includes a plurality ofribs 34 (FIGS. 3 through 6) The ribs 34, which extend inwardly (i.e.,toward the container portion 22 and into the container cavity 25 whenthe carrying case 20 is closed), are formed in a rectilinear pattern,with each rib 34 having perpendicular intersecting transverse sections36 and longitudinal sections 38. The ribs 34 increase the strength andrigidity of the insert portion 32. Notably, each rib 34 includes apassageway 40 therein (FIGS. 4 through 7); these passageways 40 allowgas employed to inflate the blow molding parison used to create thecover 24 to escape from the insert portion 32 during molding rather thanbeing trapped therein. Those skilled in this art recognize that,although the illustrated rectilinear ribbing pattern is preferred forthe generally circular insert 50 illustrated herein, other ribbingpatterns, such as that illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, may also besuitable for this and other embodiments of the present invention.

As noted above, the cover 24 includes a generally circular nameplateinsert 50 (seen in FIG. 1 and in phantom line in FIG. 3) that can, forexample, indicate the manufacturer of the item carried within thecarrying case 20. As best seen in FIG. 5A and 9, the nameplate insert 50includes visible portions 52 (which comprise circular strips 56a, 56band letters 57) that can be seen when the carrying case 20 is in aclosed position, and further includes recessed runner sections 54 thatinterconnect the visible portions 52. The visible surfaces of thevisible portions 52 together define an outer surface 53 which issubstantially coplanar with the outer surface 31 of the cover outer wall30. The runner sections 54 should be sufficiently recessed from theouter surface 53 of the visible portions 52 that thermoplastic materialforming the insert portion 32 of the cover 24 can flow over the runnersections 54 and therefore embed them within the insert portion 32. It ispreferred that the runner sections 54 be recessed from the visibleportion outer surface 53 between about 0.075 and 0.100 inches; a recessof this magnitude should provide sufficient space between the wall of amold and the runner sections 54 to enable such material flow. Thoseskilled in this art will recognize that an insert that includes visibleportions interconnected by recessed runner sections but is of adifferent general shape, such as the generally rectangular shapeillustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 or a generally triangular, ovoid, orother polygonal shape, can also be included in a carrying case of thepresent invention.

The insert 50 is formed of a polymeric material, preferably athermoplastic material, and should have sufficient thermal resistanceand structural rigidity to maintain its shape when exposed to the moltenthermoplastic used to form the cover 24. If the cover 24 is formed ofpolyethylene, it is particularly preferred that the insert be formed ofpolypropylene. It is also preferred that the insert 50 be injectionmolded, but it can be formed by other methods, such as machining, thatproduces a structure with visible portions and recessed runner sections.

The process for producing the carrying case 20 can be best understood byreference to FIGS. 8 through 14. FIG. 11 schematically illustrates apair of reciprocating mating mold halves 60, 70. The mold halves 60, 70are mounted on and reciprocated within a blow-molding machine (notshown) of a type known to those skilled in this art. Such a moldingmachine includes an overhead, vertically-directed extrusion head (notshown) that can produce a tubular thermoplastic parison 80 (see FIGS. 11and 12).

The mold half 60 includes a cavity portion 62 that is recessed from andwithin the frame of the mold half 60 itself. The cavity portion 62includes contour and detail that is to be formed onto the outer wall 30of the cover 24. An insert plate 64 (seen in detail in FIGS. 8 through10) or other insert section is positioned within the cavity portion 62.Preferably, the insert plate 64 is detachable from the remainder of thecavity portion 62 so that other insert plates, such as those which cansupport different inserts or provide different textures, can be includedin a carrying case of similar shape.

Five alignment pins 66 (FIGS. 8 and 9) extend from the insert plate 64.These alignment pins 66 are positioned to interact with specificportions of the nameplate insert 50 and thereby place it in apredetermined position and orientation relative to the cover 24. In thismanner, the nameplate insert 50 is registered in the same position andorientation each time a carrying case 20 is formed in the mold. Thoseskilled in this art will recognize that other insert-positioningstructures, such as clips, can also be used with the present invention.The present invention is also intended to encompass an insert havingraised bumps or nodules that fit within recesses in the mold.

The cavity mold half 60 also includes a plurality of vents 68 (indicatedas circular apertures in FIGS. 9 and 10). The positions of these vents68 within the cavity portion 62 correlate with the positions of thevisible portions 52 of the nameplate insert 50 as the nameplate insert50 is supported on the alignment pins 66. These vents 68 are included todraw excess air away from the mold half 60 that might otherwise gettrapped between the runner sections 54 of the nameplate insert 50 andthe regions of the insert portion 64 adjacent thereto. Omission of thevents 68 can result in incomplete flow of thermoplastic material overthe runner sections 54, thereby hindering incomplete embedment thereofwithin the insert portion 32 of the cover 24. It should be understoodthat the vents 68 can be passive or can have suction applied thereto asdesired.

The mold half 60 further includes cooling lines 69 (illustratedschematically in FIG. 14) which remove heat from the mold half resultingfrom repeated contact with molten thermoplastic parisons. Those skilledin this art will recognize that other cooling line configurations arealso suitable for use with the present invention.

The mold half 70 (FIGS. 11 and 12) includes a core portion 72 thatextends away from the frame of the mold half 70 and toward the mold half60. The core portion 72 and an insert section 74 thereof includescontour and detail for forming the inner wall 28 of the cover 24, withthe insert section 74 being positioned opposite the cavity portioninsert section 64. The mold half 70 also includes a cooling circuit 76(FIG. 14) to remove heat generated by repeated contact with parisons.

To initiate a molding cycle, a nameplate insert 50 is placed within themold half 60 in a preferred position and orientation on the alignmentpins 66 (FIGS. 10 and 11). The outer surface 53 of the nameplate insert50 is positioned to be flush with the insert plate 64, therebypreventing material from flowing over the outer surface 53 and embeddingportions thereof within the cover 24. As a result, the runner sections54 are positioned between about 0.075 and 0.100 inches from the insertplate 64.

After the nameplate insert 50 has been positioned, a parison 80 ofthermoplastic material is lowered from the extrusion head to a positionbetween the mold halves 60, 70 (FIG. 12). Once the parison 80 hasreached a position between the mold halves 60, 70, the mold halves 60,70 close upon it (FIG. 13). This action pinches the parison 80 at itstop and bottom portions and at lateral portions therebetween, therebyforming the aforementioned full-perimeter flash. In addition, a gas isintroduced into the parison 80 through an inlet (not shown) in theextrusion head. Injection of this gas (preferably air or nitrogen)inflates the parison, which in turn forces the parison 80 against thecavity portion 62 and the core portion 72 of the mold halves 60, 70. Asthe thermoplastic material takes the shape of the cavity portion 62 andthe core portion 72, some of the material flows into the spaces betweenthe insert runner sections 54 and the insert plate 64. The vents 68remove air that would otherwise be trapped by the approaching materialflow fronts. The mold halves 60, 70 remain closed until thethermoplastic material has cooled sufficiently to be handled withoutaffecting its new configuration. The mold halves 60, 70 then open, andthe carrying case 20 is ejected (FIG. 14).

Notably, the mold halves 60, 70 are configured so that the container 22is molded simultaneously with the cover 24. This dual molding process ispreferred, as the appearance of these parts, which can vary slightlybased on material lot, mold temperature, mold aging, and other factors,should more closely match one another. After molding, the container 22and cover 24, which spaced apart by a section of flash material 86, areseparated and assembled. Also, sections of flash material 87 that extendfrom the upper edge of the cover 24, the lower edge of the container 22,and the lateral edges of each are also removed.

In addition to having a pleasing aesthetic appearance, the carrying case20 has distinct performance advantages over prior labeled carryingcases. Because the insert 50 is actually molded into, and therefore isan integral part of, the cover 24, the insert 50 is extremely durable.Indeed, the insert 50 is as durable as the cover 24 itself. As a result,the manufacturer need not be concerned with the longevity of the labelin order to identify the source of a particular product. The longevityof the insert 50 is typically far greater than that of an adhered label,which not only can be inadvertently peeled from the surface of thecarrying case cover, but also can simply disintegrate over time.

In addition, the configuration of the insert portion 32 provides thedesigner of the carrying case 20 with significant design flexibility.Because the insert portion 32 has a wall thickness of approximatelytwice that of the remainder of the outer wall 30, it is considerablymore rigid than these remaining regions. As a result, the insert portion32 has sufficient rigidity that embedding an insert 50 of a differentthermoplastic material which may have different shrinkagecharacteristics does not cause the insert portion 32 to bow or deformsignificantly as the cover 24 shrinks after molding. Consequently, boththe insert portion 32 and the insert 50 remain relatively flat aftermolding and cooling. Preferably, the insert 50 has a flatness of betweenabout 0.030 and 0.100 inches/inch. The ribs 34 can further enhance theflatness of the insert portion 32 while also providing an escape routefor gas trapped within the parison 80. The final product can thus have asubstantially flat surface that contains a nameplate or other insertwhile returning the forementioned advantages inherent to a double-walledblow molded component.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIGS. 15 and 16. A carrying case, designated broadly at 100, includes acontainer member 102 and a cover member 103 similar to that of theearlier illustrated embodiment. The descriptions hereinabove regardingthe materials of construction and wall thicknesses for the carrying case20 are equally applicable for the carrying case 100. As the cover member103 is a double-walled blow molded component, it includes an inner wall104 and an outer wall 106. The inner wall 104 and outer wall 106 arecontiguous at an insert portion 107, which includes ribs 109 on itsinner surface.

The cover 103 includes a generally rectangular nameplate insert 110positioned within the insert portion 107. The nameplate insert 110includes visible portions 112 which comprise letters 114 and stripes116. The letters 114 and stripes 116 are interconnected by recessedrunner sections (not shown). The letters 114 and stripes 116 define anouter surface 118 that is substantially coplanar with the outer surface108 of the outer wall 106.

Referring now to FIG. 16, it can be seen that the ribs 109 protrudingfrom the inner wall 104 are generally straight and are oriented so as tobe generally perpendicular to the longer dimension of the nameplateinsert 110. As with the ribs 34 of the earlier illustrated embodiment,the ribs 109 include passageways (not shown) which allow gas trappedwithin the molding parison to escape. The ribs 109 also providestiffness to the insert portion 107 so that the insert portion 107 canremain substantially flat despite the differential shrinkage of thecover 103 and the insert 110.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the carrying case 100 ofFIGS. 15 and 16 can be formed with the mold halves 60, 70 illustrated inFIGS. 11 through 14. However, an insert plate would replace the insertplate 64 illustrated therein. The replacement insert plate would includealignment pins or other insert-positioning means to ensure that thenameplate insert 110 is properly positioned and oriented relative to thecover member 103.

The foregoing embodiments are illustrative of the present invention, andare not to be construed as limiting thereof. The invention is defined bythe following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be includedtherein.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A thermoplastic article of double-walledconstruction comprising:a double-walled body formed of a thermoplasticmaterial and having outer and inner walls, said body including an insertportion in which said inner and outer walls are at least partiallycontiguous; and an insert having outer surfaces defining two or morevisible portions and an embeddable section which is recessed from saidinsert outer surface; said insert being attached to said body insertportion such that said insert visible portions are exposed and visiblethrough said body outer wall such that both of said visible portions arevisible from a single vantage point in which said body outer wall isalso visible, and said embedded section is embedded in said body insertportion.
 2. The thermoplastic article of claim 1, wherein said bodyinsert portion includes a plurality of ribs extending from said bodyinner surface.
 3. The thermoplastic article of claim 2, wherein at leastsome of said plurality of ribs include venting passageways therein. 4.The thermoplastic article of claim 1, wherein said body insert portionouter surface and said insert outer surface are substantially coplanarand are positioned on a substantially flat portion of said body.
 5. Thethermoplastic article of claim 1, wherein said body is a cover for acarrying case, and further comprising a container member pivotallyinterconnected with said body and moveable to a closed position in whichsaid body inner surface and said container member define a containingcavity.
 6. The thermoplastic article of claim 1, wherein said body outersurface has a textured appearance.
 7. The thermoplastic article of claim1, wherein said body is formed of a first thermoplastic material, saidinsert is formed of a second thermoplastic material, and said firstthermoplastic material differs from said second thermoplastic material.8. The thermoplastic article of claim 7, wherein said firstthermoplastic material is polyethylene and said second thermoplasticmaterial is polypropylene.
 9. The thermoplastic article of claim 1,wherein said insert includes means for orienting said insert in apreferred orientation relative to said body.
 10. A thermoplastic articleof double-walled construction comprising:a double-walled body formed ofa first thermoplastic material and having outer and inner walls, saidbody including an insert portion in which said inner and outer walls areat least partially contiguous; and an insert formed of a secondthermoplastic material and having outer surfaces defining two or morevisible portions, and runner sections which connect said visibleportions and are recessed from said insert outer surface; said insertbeing attached to said body insert portion such that said insert outersurface is exposed and said runner sections are embedded in said bodyinsert portion; said second thermoplastic material having sufficientthermal resistance and structural rigidity to maintain its shape whenexposed to said first thermoplastic material as said first thermoplasticmaterial is in a molten state.
 11. The thermoplastic article of claim10, wherein said body insert portion includes a plurality of ribsextending from said body inner surface.
 12. The thermoplastic article ofclaim 11, wherein at least some of said plurality of ribs includeventing passageways therein.
 13. The thermoplastic article of claim 10,wherein said body insert portion outer surface and said insert outersurface are substantially coplanar and are positioned on a substantiallyflat portion of said body.
 14. The thermoplastic article of claim 10,wherein said body is a cover for a carrying case, and further comprisinga container member pivotally interconnected with said body and moveableto a closed position in which said body inner surface and said containermember define a containing cavity.
 15. The thermoplastic article ofclaim 10, wherein said body outer surface has a textured appearance. 16.The thermoplastic article of claim 10, wherein said insert includesmeans for orienting said insert in a preferred orientation relative tosaid body.
 17. A thermoplastic article of double-walled constructioncomprising:a double-walled body formed of a thermoplastic material andhaving outer and inner walls, said body including an insert portion inwhich said inner and outer walls are at least partially contiguous, saidbody being a cover for a carrying case; an insert having outer surfacesdefining two or more visible portions, and runner sections which connectsaid visible portions and are recessed from said insert outer surface;said insert being attached to said body insert portion such that saidinsert outer surface is exposed and said runner sections are embedded insaid body insert portion; and a container member pivotallyinterconnected with said body and moveable to a closed position in whichsaid body inner surface and said container member define a containingcavity.
 18. The thermoplastic article of claim 17, wherein said bodyinsert portion includes a plurality of ribs extending from said bodyinner surface.
 19. The thermoplastic article of claim 18, wherein atleast some of said plurality of ribs include venting passagewaystherein.
 20. The thermoplastic article of claim 17, wherein said bodyinsert portion outer surface and said insert outer surface aresubstantially coplanar and are positioned on a substantially flatportion of said body.
 21. A thermoplastic article of double-walledconstruction comprising:a double-walled body formed of a thermoplasticmaterial and having outer and inner walls, said body including an insertportion in which said inner and outer walls are at least partiallycontiguous; and an insert having outer surfaces defining two or morevisible portions, and runner sections which connect said visibleportions and are recessed from said insert outer surface; said insertbeing attached to said body insert portion such that said insert visibleportions are exposed and visible through said body outer wall such thatsaid visible portions are visible from a single vantage point from whichsaid body outer wall is also visible, and said runner sections areembedded in said body insert portion.
 22. The thermoplastic article ofclaim 21, wherein said body insert portion includes a plurality of ribsextending from said body inner surface.
 23. The thermoplastic article ofclaim 22, wherein at least some of said plurality of ribs includeventing passageways therein.
 24. The thermoplastic article of claim 21,wherein said body insert portion outer surface and said insert outersurface are substantially coplanar and are positioned on a substantiallyflat portion of said body.
 25. The thermoplastic article of claim 21,wherein said body outer surface has a textured appearance.
 26. Thethermoplastic article of claim 21, wherein said body is formed of afirst thermoplastic material, said insert is formed of a secondthermoplastic material, and said first thermoplastic material differsfrom said second thermoplastic material.
 27. The thermoplastic articleof claim 26, wherein said first thermoplastic material is polyethyleneand said second thermoplastic material is polypropylene.
 28. Thethermoplastic article of claim 21, wherein said insert includes meansfor orienting said insert in a preferred orientation relative to saidbody.